8 Arthouse Filmmakers You Didn’t Notice Released Films In 2016
6. Paul Verhoeven - Elle
The words “arthouse” and “Verhoeven” don’t seem to fit in the same sentence, particularly if the second will forever be attached to such cult favorites as Flesh and Blood, RoboCop or Total Recall, and softcore flicks like Basic Instinct or Showgirls.
But the Dutch director felt he hit rock bottom after 2000 sci-fi horror film Hollow Man (what a timely title), and thenceforth he has been plying his vision in more mature works, starting with Black Book in 2006, his first WWII entry since 1977 Soldier of Orange, and most recently, Elle.
Every American actress he thought could handle the role refused, and movie shooting, formerly planned to take place in the United States, proved to be too controversial and ended up in France. Verhoeven decided to collaborate with an entirely French crew, so he learned the language before production.
He really put a lot of work into it, and it bore fruit: Elle feels like a refreshing and promising brand new beginning (or a meritorious closure, if you want to get pessimistic). It also stars Isabelle Huppert, so what more could you ask for?